I’m here, the kid with cerebral palsy. If you’re a politician, obviously not. If you run the TT-line, obviously not.

The recent announcements from politicians about more cycle trails means more inaccessible places for the already privileged to gain more privileges at the expense of those with none.

But then, who cares? We’re invisible.

Recent trips on the boat demonstrated again the lack of respect and sympathy demonstrated by its administration towards the disabled and frail.

Deck nine, off limits if you can’t climb stairs, no disabled toilet. The able get to be entertained by a wonderful young Tassie singer, while having a drink and eating pizza.

If not for the efforts of staff in taking me and my chair by a circuitous route, I would not have got to see and meet her.  Heaven help me if they were busy.

AGAIN the move of the University of Tasmania campus from Newnham to Inveresk is in the news, still with the idea the city centre will be reinvigorated ‘by the move of thousands of students’ into the CBD.

Unfortunately the reality is very different, with more and more UTAS degrees moving altogether from Launceston, and the much promised thousands of students finding they must move to Hobart or study online.

Two of my family had already moved to Launceston for fully on campus degrees, only to find these degrees are vanishing.

One could not even complete the first year in Launceston and had to change degrees only to then find in one subject, the Launceston students finally had to make do with taped Hobart lectures, as no lecturer was ever available in Launceston. This year, the second degree is also now no longer available in Launceston and he was simply offered the UTAS accommodation details for Hobart if he wishes to continue full time, on campus.

Both students have done exceptionally well in their studies and have accommodation and work arranged in Launceston. Not one of their peers has been able to complete degrees on campus in Launceston and all must move to Hobart, interstate or study online. I would suggest those who believe the CBD will be reinvigorated by these ‘thousands of students’ need to be asking UTAS for some actual figures as to how many on campus degrees are fully available in Launceston, and how many of those students enrolling are still fully on campus in Launceston by their second year of study. 

For these are the only students who will be moving to Launceston and strolling down the mall.

PERHAPS the letter writer complaining about plastic film wrap covering most goods purchased in grocery stores should do what my wife and I do. Firstly try to buy as many vegetables unwrapped as possible. Secondly any plastic film wrap you do get with any purchase,wash it, dry it, then put it in another used plastic bag, i.e. toilet roll bags, or the like. Store them in a space with your other recyclables and when it is full take it with you to the supermarket where they have a container available for you to recycle your soft plastics. All other recyclables including the plastic containers of all meats go into the recycling bin.

One more thing, if you want to cut down on plastics, use plastic containers to store frozen food in. They can be recycled thousands of times, thereby eliminating plastic bag use in the home, and, take reusable containers to the supermarket to purchase products like fish, feta, olives, salads, etc., from the deli, another way of reducing plastic waste. Same thing applies when you visit your local butcher. Hope these handy hints helped in some way.

THE Gorge is a natural landmark.

I repeat, a natural landmark.

Not a theme park or man made landmark, but a natural landmark.

Leave as it is.

Stop fiddling with play equipment that does nothing to improve the smell of the Tamar River and do your job.

DI SPOTSWOOD (The Examiner, February 23) expressed her political concerns regarding the need to protect the archaeological evidence of Aboriginal occupation within the West Coast area of the Tarkine, now known as Takayna.

While I support Spotswood’s point of view I must express my concerns abut the inaccurate “60,000 year old heritage” she alludes to.

The oldest known Tasmanian site is c.40,000 (C14 calibrated) and since today’s sea level occured c.6,500 the middens in danger cannot be older than that.

Actually further north at West Point the basal date is only 2,6600 and that was an inact site not exposed windblown surface shell.

Although now destroyed older sites once existed off shore now under the ocean.

By all means try to protect Takayna, but get the facts right.

WHATEVER has happened to our Prime Minister who was so happy that love had won with regard to marriage equality, but now regardless of the feelings of consenting adults, bans two people from expressing their love for each other.

The ban suggests that these affairs are tawdry.

Why should it be that a divorced minister or one who is legally separated should resign if he happens to fall in love with a staff member.

FRONT page (The Examiner, February 20) shows an artist impression of the new look Hotel Verge. Almost another Henty House.